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Monday 14 December 2015

Three Sisters (Blackberry Island #2)

I can never have enough of fictions especially women's fiction. The cover of this book gave me that feel instantly .. This is my first Susan Mallery book.. Really liked it .. She certainly joins the list of my favourite women's fiction authors next to Cathy Kelly.



Looking at the cover of this book and the title you might think the novel is about three sisters. The three sisters are in fact old neighbouring houses on Blackberry Island. The story is about the three women in those houses. Andi, the protagonist , who after being jilted at the altar, buys one of the houses planning to open her paediatric surgery and also live in the house. After her disastrous ten years spent with Matt, Andi has sworn off men. Despite all that effort, she falls for her contractor. Will their relationship work inspite of the differences in their job status?
Deanna, a neighbour, is one who strives to have the perfect home and family. But the reality is very different. Then there is Boston, an artist whose baby died in her arms. Now all she does is paint and sketch baby Liam.

I have a few quibbles.. Certain scenes sounded rather repetitive . I understand the author wanted us to  know how their lives fell apart and how these ladies are going through an emotional struggle. Like , Mike leaving Andi at the altar and Boston painting her son and Deanna washing hands etc ..After the fourth time, they were too boring and unnecessary.

I liked the story of Deanna and Boston . It was more deep and strong than Andi , who is the protagonist. It could have been better. Apart from the above, I enjoyed the book thoroughly. I liked all three characters. Especially how Andi and Boston hate Deanna and then when they get to know her better, become best of friends. Explains the women nature perfectly :P

The book may seem like a light read but it still manages to describe family ties, heart break , friendship , small town life etc.  When I chose this book little did I know about Susan Mallery. She seems to have written a lot of series. Fool's Gold being the most famous one.. I will try to read a few of the Fool's Gold series soon, probably next year. This book is Blackberry Island series no : 2 ..

We have neared the end of 2015.. I have been able to read books this year which itself is an achievement. Hahah.. True.. I know a lot of my friends who have given up reading after having a baby :P .Thanks to my son , who after turning 3 has stopped ripping my books and allows me to read these days..:P .. Looking forward to reading more in 2016...

 

Sunday 6 December 2015

Chennai rains and a sinking heart !!!

Oh my god .. It was a nerve wracking week because of the Chennai floods. Trust me , I have been stressed... Stressed by just sitting and waiting for information from loved ones back in Chennai. I cant imagine how stressed people who actually faced the calamity would have been...





I know a lot of people who live abroad and have their friends and family in Chennai.. Chennai is home and when it was struck with torrential rain and the connection was lost , I know what would have gone through in their minds. A sudden sense of panic, fear of unknown , the urge to contact and all these washed away with a sense of guilt... Yes, it all ends with a guilty feeling of us enjoying all luxury ( material perks ) and our loved ones struggling there with no one to help... It did to me ..  For all those living far from home, missing out on major life events, both the sad and the celebratory, is a common sacrifice.

Those hours of no contact with the people back home and our frantic efforts to reach them and figure out if they were safe was excruciating.. Don't fret my friends..You may have left your home for another country where you would have an opportunity of some kind, be that education, career, love or even freedom but home always remain close to heart. When we leave home , we leave a piece of us back there and hence the continued state of agony. Never mind, we will still be the selfish son or daughter who abandoned their families to get ahead , with tonnes and tonnes of love and care for them in our hearts..

All the technology we use to stay in touch with them had failed , leaving us stranded with emotional distress. So every little piece of information about someone being rescued brought great relief.. Two days of no contact with family brought worst nightmares. What would they be doing without food, without power , without water.. scary to imagine... Finally I received information from them stating they are fine... uff phew what a relief !!!

Then, I sat back to imagine what everybody there are going through.. Especially the old people , pregnant women and the extremely little ones...A well settled family becoming paupers over night.. Nature has its own way of teaching.. Everybody would have learnt a lesson from this incident.. be it the politicians, or the celebrities or the common man. The pictures of smiling women rescued in rain , the photo of a woman delivering milk in waist deep water and many other videos from Chennai taught me to be brave and to think positive. When I spoke to my friends and my cousins , I felt if you have your humour intact, nothing can pull you down..

Thanks to all the known and unknown brothers and sisters who helped my family and friends ( extended family .. ) in my absence. I am so obliged .. It is you who we trust and leave them behind. Thanks to all those who marked friends safe on Facebook as soon as they got the info. Thanks to every single individual who helped people stuck in the first floor of their houses with provisions and food and water.. God bless you all.

Now, just hope that the rain relents its hold on Chennai and life returns to normal soon..